Measured: Length is measured end to end with the clasp fastened and the chain laid flat, pendant drop excluded. Princess at 18 inches is what a chain is sold at unless a listing says otherwise.
The basics
What to know about necklace length
Length is the one thing about a necklace you cannot change after you buy it. It decides whether the piece lands on bare skin or on fabric. The same pendant on a 16 inch chain frames the throat; on a 24 inch chain it clears a crew neck and reads as a different piece.
The trade measures a necklace end to end with the clasp closed and the chain laid flat. The number describes the full circle that goes around you. Pendant drop counts separately: an 18 inch chain with a 1 inch pendant reaches about 19 inches down your chest.
Read the bands as a ladder down the body, then calibrate them against your own neck. Run a soft tape around your neck where you want the chain to rest and add 2 inches so it sits rather than grips. The traditional ranges assume a neck of 13 to 16 inches. If yours measures more, every band shifts up a step. An 18 inch chain will then sit where a 16 inch one is pictured.
